McCain picks Alaska governor as running mate

[ApproximatelyInfinite]

 

 

(CNN) -- Sen. John McCain has picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, CNN learned Friday.

The 44-year-old Palin, who's in her first term as governor, is a pioneering figure in Alaska, the first woman and the youngest person to hold the state's top political job.

 

She catapulted to the post with a strong reputation as a political outsider, forged during her stint in local politics. She was mayor and a council member of the small town of Wasila and was chairman of the state Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which regulates Alaska's oil and gas resources, in 2003 and 2004.

 

The conservative Palin defeated two so-called political insiders to win the governor's job -- incumbent Gov. Frank Murkowski in the GOP primary and former two-term Democratic Gov. Tony Knowles in the 2006 general election.

Palin made her name in part by backing tough ethical standards for politicians. During the first legislative session after her election, her administration passed a state ethics law overhaul.

 

Palin's term has not been without controversy. A legislative investigation is looking into allegations that Palin fired Alaska's public safety commissioner because he refused to fire the governor's former brother-in-law, a state trooper.

 

Palin acknowledged that a call was made by a member of her staff to a trooper in which the staffer suggested he was speaking for the governor.

 

 

 

Palin has acknowledged that the call could be interpreted as pressure to fire state trooper Mike Wooten, who was locked in a child-custody battle with Palin's sister.

 

"I am truly disappointed and disturbed to learn that a member of this administration contacted the Department of Public Safety regarding Trooper Wooten," Governor Palin said. "At no time did I authorize any member of my staff to do so."

 

Palin suspended the staffer who made the call and the investigation is continuing.

 

Palin has been focused on energy and natural resource policy during her short stint in office, and is known for her support of drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, a position opposed by McCain but supported by many grass-roots Republicans.

 

Her biography on the state governor's Web site says one of the two major pieces of legislation passed during her first legislative session was a competitive process to construct a gas pipeline.

Palin started Alaska's Petroleum Systems Integrity Office -- an oversight and maintenance agency for the state's oil and gas equipment, facilities and infrastructure. She created the Climate Change Subcabinet that would forge a climate change strategy, according to the biography.

At present, Palin chairs the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, a multistate panel "that promotes the conservation and efficient recovery of domestic oil and natural gas resources while protecting health, safety and the environment," the biography says.

 

She has been named chair of the National Governors Association's Natural Resources Committee. That panel is focused on legislation to make sure that federal policies take state priorities into account in agriculture, energy, environmental protection and natural resource management.

 

She is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association and takes part in two of Alaska's popular pastimes -- fishing and hunting.

 

The governor's biography says Palin's other priorities have been "education and workforce development, public health and safety, and transportation and infrastructure development."

 

The biography touts other achievements during her time as governor -- the investment of $5 billion in state savings, overhauling educational funding, and implementing a program to help low-income elderly Alaskans.

 

Born in Idaho, she is a longtime Alaskan and a Protestant. Her biography says she arrived in Alaska in 1964, "when her parents came to teach school in Skagway."

 

She graduated from Wasila High School in 1982 and received a bachelor of science degree in communications-journalism from the University of Idaho in 1987.

 

Her husband is Todd Palin, who is a lifelong resident of the state and an oil production operator on Alaska's North Slope. They have five children, including a son who enlisted in the Army last year.

 

Congressional Quarterly notes Palin's other past occupations, including commercial fishing company owner; outdoor recreational equipment company owner; and sports reporter.

 

Palin also made an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor in 2002, Congressional Quarterly said.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/29/palin.republican.vp.candidate/index.html

 

____________________________________________________

 

:bigcry:

 

I'm not too happy about this, because now all those former Hillary-supporter feminists who were thinking about voting McCain will definitely vote McCain. I feel a bit sick with worry.

[Matter-Eater Lad]

hahahahahaha, never saw this coming a million years. McCain that was fucking brilliant and audacious. This came out of no where, she came out of no where, literally........Alaska??

[GazeboflossUK]

Hmm, this is interesting - Alaska, where there's presently enough oil to last over 200 years (and it seems some places oil fields are growing).

 

I'm watching McCain with Palin right now in Ohio.....I hate McCain with all my passion - so this is torture. (yes, I went there)

[ApproximatelyInfinite]

yes, i didn't see this coming from mccain at all. i was expecting him to pick leiberman (which would have pained me, though very minorly, in other ways), but some virtually unknown lady from alaska that's only been governor for two years? it has next to nothing to do with her experience and everything to do with her conservativism (member of the NRA, austistic daughter that she didn't abort [which i think is extremely honorable, BTW, even though i'm pro-choice]), her oil, and her vagina. had to be said.

 

touche, mccain.

 

but my brain keeps saying "SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT."

[Black Rose]

And so the never-ending race to the white house continues :P

 

In other countries elections are concluded over a period of a couple months, but not in America where it takes them nearly 9 months to decide on their leader :P

[Tnspieler1012]

^ and about 9 months before that to sort out the democratic and republican nominations :P.

[Space Cadet]

^And a year or two of campaigning before that. Massively expensive; no wonder corporations and lobby groups have so much say in US politics. :bomb: It looks like we're going to have an election before the US gets around to actually voting, and ours hasn't even been called yet. :lol:

 

Talk about laying down the gauntlet. Cool that either way it's not the old white boys club in the White House now. I'm still thinking both sides are wolves in sheeps clothing at this point though. :disappointed:

[Black Rose]

But at least your leader will have been elected.

 

Unlike Lord Brown who got into power without a single vote being cast

[Matter-Eater Lad]

I love British government, I was watching it on Cspan 2 earlier this summer. I think it was Parliment and Gordon Brown was there and all the sides were yelling at each other about issue's. "Mr. Prime Minster why........" then he'd get up and attack them back.

[ApproximatelyInfinite]

i love watching british parliament sessions on cspan. it's HILARIOUS how it's ok to just shout at each other and cause a general ruckus with no problem. in america, it's all very boring and official. maybe things would be better if the senators and everyone got to shout at each other while going about business.

 

nah, probably not :P

[Space Cadet]

But at least your leader will have been elected.

 

Unlike Lord Brown who got into power without a single vote being cast

 

Our parliament is based on your system. We've had plenty of Prime Ministers who were voted in by the party when the former PM stepped down, our last PM Paul Martin being the most recent. Take heart though, every single one of them that I know of has led to their party's catastrophic meltdown and been booted out of office- it's how the conservatives managed to take over after nearly 14 years of liberal rule.

 

I love British government, I was watching it on Cspan 2 earlier this summer. I think it was Parliment and Gordon Brown was there and all the sides were yelling at each other about issue's. "Mr. Prime Minster why........" then he'd get up and attack them back.

 

And again, our parliaments are just like that too. I've always though it was terrible- these people represent our country and they're acting like 5-year-olds as a way of determining policy. I remember when we had a field trip to Province House when I was in grade 12, I was shocked at how rude they all were, sitting there calling each other names (the really bad stuff rarely makes in on camera on those political channels) and a lot of the people who had been to Ottawa said it was way worse on the national level. But I have really come to appreciate it in recent years, seeing some of the crap that gets passed down south. It means that the parties can publicly call each other on their agendas and motives, embarrassing each other for the really lame stuff. And that seems to be a good thing.

[maley422]

I don't think the pro- gay marriage and pro-choice Hillary supporters are gonna jump ship for McCain just because Palin is a woman, there are HUGE differences between Hillary and Palin

[talkingonsquareone89]

I think I am now expecting to have something blow up in our faces at the end...

[chuck kottke]

I think it's all a global conspiracy. She's probably Michael Palin's second cousin, and is actually trying to reinstate Roman Rule, much as had been done during the Flying Circus days of yore..:P

[Matter-Eater Lad]

I don't think the pro- gay marriage and pro-choice Hillary supporters are gonna jump ship for McCain just because Palin is a woman, there are HUGE differences between Hillary and Palin

 

You over estimate people.

[A RUSH OF VIDA]

McCain ad Obama both suck........GO HILLARY!!!!!!!!!:smug:

[Pseudonym]

God, I'm getting so sick of McCain. If he wins, I'm leaving America after college, no questions asked.:thinking:

[GazeboflossUK]

We are all getting a bad deal - the world over.

 

It's like WWE Wrestling.....completely rigged and all sides ran by the same people.

[Jpw48]

So he chose a woman. Surprise. That'll appeal to all the Hillary supporters.

She has no foreign experiance whatsoever. Genius.

My mate reckons she's kinda hot though, in a creepy, "I'm gonna be the female Dick Cheney" kinda way.

 

But seriously, does this man have a chance in the election?!?!

[coldplay_is_louve.]

God, I'm getting so sick of McCain. If he wins, I'm leaving America after college, no questions asked.:thinking:

 

 

oh i agree 100%.

 

if we have another repuplican in our office, he'll make the country go into a depression. gas will be like ten bucks a gallon, the economy will crash, and no one will have jobs.

 

and you know why the jerkoff picked a woman?

 

cause he wants to win over the people who were going to vote for hilary. cause they wanted to vote for a woman.

 

pleeeease, anyone out there who thinks they'll vote over mccain than obama... please rethink it. obama's a good guy, and i'm sure he'll be a great president.

 

compared to mccain, i think i could do a better job. :dozey:.

[Matter-Eater Lad]

We are all getting a bad deal - the world over.

 

It's like WWE Wrestling.....completely rigged and all sides ran by the same people.

 

No Gareth, thats not true because the news said it's not! And the politicians said it's not true! Don't you get out enough and see all politicians are good honest people?

[Matter-Eater Lad]

oh i agree 100%.

 

if we have another repuplican in our office, he'll make the country go into a depression. gas will be like ten bucks a gallon, the economy will crash, and no one will have jobs.

 

and you know why the jerkoff picked a woman?

 

cause he wants to win over the people who were going to vote for hilary. cause they wanted to vote for a woman.

 

pleeeease, anyone out there who thinks they'll vote over mccain than obama... please rethink it. obama's a good guy, and i'm sure he'll be a great president.

 

compared to mccain, i think i could do a better job. :dozey:.

 

Did you guys notice how the democrats are doing just as bad on the economic front? The Democrats can't and won't do any better because they have the same views as Republicans....

[Death Hill]

So he chose a woman. Surprise. That'll appeal to all the Hillary supporters.

She has no foreign experiance whatsoever. Genius.

My mate reckons she's kinda hot though, in a creepy, "I'm gonna be the female Dick Cheney" kinda way.

 

But seriously, does this man have a chance in the election?!?!

 

Of course he picked her because of trying to snag Hillary's now-undecided supporters...the funny thing is that if anyone spent like three minutes researching this lady's beliefs/background they'd find how anti-Hillary her ideas are, the only thing they have in common is they're both female.

 

And unfortunately he does indeed still have a solid chance of winning, you'd be surprised at how many right wing conservatives are in the US who would be fine with four more years of a new Bush.

 

I also saw this random Republican guy on this news channel who was defending her and said she has a foreign policy because she lives near Russia.:goofy:

[Death Hill]

And you know Obama wouldn't have been my first choice for the democratic nomination, I far prefer Hillary...BUT we can't afford to have Bush #2 with so much of the same dead end plans and solutions...it really comes down to that.

[Black Rose]

oh i agree 100%.

 

if we have another repuplican in our office, he'll make the country go into a depression. gas will be like ten bucks a gallon, the economy will crash, and no one will have jobs.

 

and you know why the jerkoff picked a woman?

 

cause he wants to win over the people who were going to vote for hilary. cause they wanted to vote for a woman.

 

pleeeease, anyone out there who thinks they'll vote over mccain than obama... please rethink it. obama's a good guy, and i'm sure he'll be a great president.

 

compared to mccain, i think i could do a better job. :dozey:.

 

OMG Ten bucks a gallon gas, you should come over here where petrol is already at 10 bucks a gallon :P